Question: Do there are some disadvantages? Because... I don't know, Unity still uses normal z-buffer, and a lot of other engines too, why they don't use this one instead?

This has been available on ATI relatively recently, and still (probably) don't work on Intel. For Intel, SpaceEngine will use normal z-buffer, or maybe logarithmic z-buffer (I working on it also). Probably this is why Unity don't use this feature (to save Intel compatibility); also usual game scenes don't need such huge accuracy of the z-buffer.

like orbital paths, or small moons inside rings. Fixing all issues with render order, like rings or aurora being rendered in front of space ship. Particle effects on planets and ships (smoke, clouds, rain etc). All modern algorithms which required access to the depth buffer (deferred shading, 3D water with distortion, SSAO, shadow maps(!), etc).

You are not the only one who feels this way Can't wait for this feature to be implemented ! Every new patch is a giant leap forward! I think 0.9.7.4 will be the best SE version ever (until 0.9.7.5 arrives of course )

Seriously, one day people will mention the greats of Russia (Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, SpaceEngineer) in the same breath.

Intel, SpaceEngine will use normal z-buffer, or maybe logarithmic z-buffer (I working on it also).

Is there a compelling reason to continue to support Intel onboard graphics cards? The performance is dismal (at least for me) & I can't imagine the planned improvements to SpaceEngine treating Intel cards very well.

^ How? For me patch 5 just up and crashes right after the splash screen. @Vladimir: I love your new features too, but I really really hope you can solve this issue. Please please please please please...!

Is there a compelling reason to continue to support Intel onboard graphics cards? The performance is dismal (at least for me) & I can't imagine the planned improvements to SpaceEngine treating Intel cards very well.

Well, with a new architecture for intel chips coming out now, performance will be a lot better with those chips, and even run SE pretty well. So, even though Intel HD may seem weak, the more recent chips are pretty powerful in regards to handling Space Engine.

Well, with a new architecture for intel chips coming out now, performance will be a lot better with those chips, and even run SE pretty well. So, even though Intel HD may seem weak, the more recent chips are pretty powerful in regards to handling Space Engine.

I can second the objection to "dismal." Sure, it's a level behind most dedicated cards, but even on all default settings I can run 0.974 patch 4 with FPS values nearing 200 (and not just in empty space).

Also, just because one person is running on a big gaming rig and thinks the rest of us plebian losers should be left up the creek doesn't mean we agree. SpaceEngine ran fine on Intel cards right up until the very latest patch, proving it's not something like The Witcher 3 that has to require top-of-the line cards, so it's unfair to cut out a big chunk of the population that could be enjoying and promoting it.

Thirded. While I do suffer startup crashes on my own machine, they are completely random, but when it doesn't crash, the game is GLORIOUS. Patch 5 seems to be the best working edition of Space Engine so far. And since I've had to remind myself to keep graphics DRIVERS up to date, planets in the Sol system stopped showing up black and glitchy, and the Square Diffraction spikes seems to have gone away for the most part as well.

So I must say, SpaceEngineer has done a really good job for Intel chip rendering and I do believe I'm not the only one who appreciates this.

I can second the objection to "dismal." Sure, it's a level behind most dedicated cards, but even on all default settings I can run 0.974 patch 4 with FPS values nearing 200 (and not just in empty space).

Huh. On my laptop (which has an NVIDIA 860 on it) it runs terribly on the Intel card. :\

While working on my system surrounding Kepler-16, I noticed that the game does not differentiate between Capital (upper case) letters or lower case letters. So when I tried to create a moon around the planet Kepler-16 b, the game put the object around the star Kepler-16 B instead.

My temporary work around was to create a copy of ExoPlanets.sc and rename "Kepler-16 b" to Kepler-16 ABb". So perhaps in a future version, known circumbinary exo-planets might be named as "<system> AB b" or "<system> (AB)b" instead?

My temporary work around was to create a copy of ExoPlanets.sc and rename "Kepler-16 b" to Kepler-16 ABb". So perhaps in a future version, known circumbinary exo-planets might be named as " AB b" or " (AB)b" instead?

Yes they must be named like "Kepler (AB) b" by convention, but sometimes this is ignored. There are too little circumbinary planets discovered to date.